Tuesday Daily Puck: Open Season

After the Tim Thomas debacle a couple years back, it's nice to see a smooth, news-free White House visit from the Blackhawks, who were honored by President Obama for their Stanley Cup win on Monday. Visit Walter Reed, pose with the president and move on. That's how you do it.

It's kind of beyond belief how bad the Sabres are right now. Two wins and an overtime loss in 16 games – that's legendary awfulness. They've traded their best player (though it was a good deal), their goalie is sure to be next, and you can be sure that contenders will look to mine the Buffalo roster for useful players like Matt Moulson, Steve Ott, Drew Stafford and Henrik Tallinder. I imagine the Sabres would love to move Tyler Myers, too, as he isn't coming close to earning his $6 million salary and $5.5 million cap hit, but they may have a hard time finding a taker for the big defender, as he's under contract for another five seasons after this one.

On the flip side, the Eastern Conference's most surprising team has been the Lightning, who've ridden unexpectedly solid netminding to first place in the Atlantic Division. Ben Bishop's been a revelation, going 9-2-0 with a 2.15 GAA and .925 save mark in the early going – impressive numbers that may fall off a little over the course of the year, but with the continued support of Tampa's explosive offense, the biggest goalie in NHL history should keep being one of the better ones in fantasy.

OilersDevan Dubnyk, G (ankle) – Will be back in net TuesdayJustin Schultz, D (groin/ribs) – Out again TuesdayTaylor Hall, LW (knee) – Expected back during road trip that starts TuesdayRichard Bachman, G (groin) – Got hurt Saturday, and wasn't playing well even before thatJesse Joensuu, RW (back) – Skating with the team; like Hall, expected back on this tripDavid Perron, RW (neck) – Placed on IR on Saturday

PanthersTim Thomas, G (leg) – Won't be activated for Tuesday's game, but traveling with the team

SabresJohn Scott, RW (suspension) – Two more games on his suspensionJoel Armia, RW (hand) – Back at practice in AHL; could be up with Sabres later this year

SharksBrent Burns, LW (mouth) – Suited up and skated Monday, but still not back at practice

Hot

Erik Karlsson, D, OTT – After a slow start to the year, Karlsson's started lighting things up. He's got seven points over a four-game streak and a total of 13 points in his last nine contests, resuming his position as the most valuable defenseman in fantasy. The only knock on him right now is his minus-2 rating.

Kyle Okposo, RW, NYI – Okposo's been consistently productive all year, but never more than over the last two games, as he ripped off five assists in a back-to-back set against Boston and Ottawa. The last time Okposo skated minutes like this, he put up 52 points – and he was just 21 years old that season.

Dennis Wideman, D, CGY – With Mark Giordano out, Wideman's seen his responsibilities on offense grow, and he's answered the bell with six assists in his last five games to go with a plus-5 rating. At 30 years old and on a team that's not very good, Wideman is incredibly positioned for one of the best seasons of his career.

Cold

Brooks Laich, C, WAS – Usually good for a consistent 40 to 50 points, Laich's managed just two points (both goals) in 14 games this season. Over the last six games, he has no points, a minus-5 rating and just five shots on goal. This despite skating very consistent minutes – more than 15 every game, with some power-play time. Fortunately, he's the kind of guy you can cut to the wire without having major regrets.

Ville Leino, LW, BUF – Well, the first thing you need to know is that he plays for Buffalo. But Leino's done next to nothing since his return from a rib injury, skating in four games, taking zero shots on goal and notching one assist. If you're stashing him, the bench is where he should stay 'til he starts creating more offense.

Marc Staal, D, NYR – After a promising return to the ice last year (11 points in 21 games), Staal suffered a broken orbital bone, and he simply hasn't been the same since returning. After another quiet effort Monday – just 16:23 of ice time and a minus-1 with no shots – Staal owns just two points in 14 games on the season and is a whopping minus-11. He's got some offensive upside and has typically been a strong defender, but injuries have derailed him, at least temporarily.

Recommended Pickup

Mikael Granlund, C, MIN – Fantasy owners have been surprisingly slow to take to Granlund despite the 21-year-old's hot start to the year – a goal (just scored Sunday) and 10 assists in 15 games. The ninth overall pick in the 2010 draft and a star in his native Finland, Granlund has elite playmaking ability and has secured a consistent second-line spot with plenty of power-play usage. If your format rewards power-play points, he's one of the few players on the wire who can offer significant help in that respect, not to mention a dark horse for a 60-point season.